Antidazzle device for use with head lamps



Oct. 2, 1934. oss 1,975,174

I ANTIDAZZLE DEVICE FOR USE WITH HEAD LAMPS Filed March 16. 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 (Fm Iran? Oct. 2,- 1934. P. ROSSI 1,975,174

I ANTIDAZZLE DEVICE FOR USE WITH HEAD LAMPS Filed March 16, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 (7% Ham/e Oct. 2, 1934. 0551 1,975,174

ANTIDAZ-ZLE DEVICE FOR USE WITH HEAD LAMPS Filed March 16, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Oct. 2, 1934 PATENT OFFKZE ANTI'DAZZLE DEVICE. FOR USE WITH HEAD LAMPS Pietro Rossi, Eastbourne, Sussex, England Application March 16, 1933, Serial No. 661,069 In- Great Britain March 1 8, 1932 2 Claims. (01. 240 .15)

My invention relates to headlamps of motor roadvehicles and has for its object to provide improved means for bringing into operation a" suitable colour filter or other transparent dazzle 6 preventing device when it is required to effect a change from the ordinary beam of light to a softer form of light, for example when it is required to bring into operation an orange or othersuitably coloured filter adapted to be located in front of the lamp inside the reflector.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into efiect, I have appended hereto three sheets of drawings illustrating an embodiment thereof and wherein, 15 Fig. 1 is a plan view of the reflector showing the apparatus in the normal position.

Fig. 2 is a broken plan view similar to Fig. 1 showing the apparatus in its operable position.

Fig. 3 is an inverted plan showing the last operated solenoid and the relative position of parts after operation of the first of four solenoids which are successively energized to efiect a complete cycle of operations.

Fig. 4 is a broken'inverted plan view showing the arrangement of parts shown in Fig. 3 after the first solenoid has been energized.

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation view of the complete mechanism turned on its side in order to show clearly the balancing of the electromagnets of the mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the trip mechanism working in conjunction with the second operated solenoid.

Fig. '7 is a detail view of the trip mechanism working in conjunction with the third operated solenoid.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view showing the switch and general wiring.

Fig. 9 is a sectional side elevation operating switch.

Referring to the drawings the reflector 1 which can be of parabolic or of half ellipsoidal configuration has a shallow cup shaped portion 2 removed from its inner end, said cup shaped portion being normally held in a position continuous with the remainder of the reflector 1 as shown in Figs. 1

of the and 3, but mounted on a spindle 3 pivotally supported inside the reflector'casing land adapted to be moved through a small angle so as to carry away from the remainder of the reflector as shown in Fig. 2 to provide a gap through which is subsequently passed a disc of glass 5 or other suitable material coloured or otherwise treated to prevent dazzle.

the rear portion of the reflector a short distance The said spindle 3 has its ends fastened in the ends of a pair of brackets or arms 6 and 7, the arrangement being that a solenoid 8 (see Fig. 1) is attached to a plate 9 by means of a lug l0 and when energized its armature 11 is withdrawn and in conjunction with a connecting link 12 will cause a V shaped trigger 13 pivoted by a pin 13a to thefree end of the arm 6 to disengage a hook portion 14 thereof from under an abutment 15 formed on a plate 16 fixedly attached to the said plate 9, a further abutment 17 being formed on the arm 6 adapted to guide the trigger 13 when it is swung about its pivot 130. so as to ensure a rearward swinging movement'of the arm 6', it' being apparent that the said trigger 13 being pivoted to the arm 6 will cause the said arm to rotate the aforementioned spindle 3. The spindle 3 carries one or more radial members 18 to which is attached the shallow cup shaped portion 2. A spring 19a connected to the arm 6 and trigger 13 by means of lugs or projections 21 and 22 formed on sucharm and trigger tends to retain its parts in normal position as seen in Fig. 1, i. e. when the glass 5 is out of use. Fig. 3 illustrates the part of the mechanism on a plate 19 opposite to 89 the plate 9, these two plates serving as a frame for the mechanism. In this part of the mech anism an arm '7 is fitted to the end of the spindle 3 adjacent the frame plate 19, this arm 7 carrying a shaped trigger 23 having a hooked portion 24 adapted to engage over an abutment 25 provided on a plate 26 which is fixedly attached to the plate 19. A solenoid 27 having an armature 28 is connected by means of a link 29 to one end of the shaped trigger 23 which is pivoted by a pin 23a to one end of the arm 7. It will therefore be readily understood that when the solenoid 8 is energized, the spindle 3 is rotated and causes the cup shaped member 2 to be moved through a small angle and subsequently the spindle 3 will cause the arm 7 to be raised and aided by the spring 30 will engage the hooked portion 24 of the trigger 23 over the abutment 25 as shown in Fig. 4 where it will remain until removed by asolenoid 2'7 (which action ishereinafter described). The trigger 23 when raised over the abutment 25 will idly operate the armature 28 of the solenoid 27 via the link 29, the armature thereby being extended ready for retraction when the solenoid is energized. Figs. 2 and 4 show the position of these parts after the solenoid .8 has been energized. Fig. 5 is a rear view and illus trates the means employed for swinging the glass 5 to the position provided for by the opening of the cup shaped portion 2, and employs a sole- 1104 noid 31 having an armature 32. The sole use of this solenoid is to swing the glass 5 to the operative position. Extending from one end of the solenoid 31 is a U or box shaped bracket 33 the cross bar 34 of which has engaged over it a pawl 34a pivoted at 341) to a channel section rocker arm 35 which in turn is pivoted to the side limbs of the U shapedbracket 33, a link 33a connecting said pawl 34a to the armature 32 so that the pawl is brought into and out of action by movement of the armature 32 of the solenoid 31. The said rocker arm 35 is loosely mounted on an immovable shaft 38 by means of a boss 36. The pawl 34a is pivoted to the rocker arm as at 3'? and a torsion spring 37a inserted between the rocker arm and the pawl so as to urge the pawl upwardly over the cross bar 34. The ends of the transverse shaft 38 are located in the side plates 9 and 19. Located at the opposite side of the said solenoid 31 is a further solenoid 44 having an armature 45. The use of this solenoid 44 is to move the glass 5 from its screening or operative position through the opening left by the opened cup shaped member 2. The said armature 45 carries at one end a connecting link 46 adapted to engage a pawl 47 underneath an extension bar 4.8. A pair of side arms 49 of a U shaped bracket 50 extend from the solenoid 44 and are fixedly attached to the shaft 38. The pawl 4'7 has pivoted to it at 47a one end of a rocker arm which also rotates loosely on the shaft 38. Each of the rocker arms 51 and 35 is connected to the arms 41 and 43 carrying the glass 5 as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 or alternatively may be connected thereto by the parts 51a and 35a shown in Fig. 5.

A suitable source of control for these solenoids can comprise four spring loaded buttons 53 mounted in a suitable casing 54 mounted on the dash board 54a of the vehicle. A contact maker 55 having four flexible fingers 56 radiates from its centre, the arrangement being that each finger controls an individual solenoid, which fingers on being selectively compressed by one of the buttons 53 will engage one of four terminals 56a and close a circuit. It must therefore be apparent that when it is desired to bring the anti-dazzle device into operation the finger governing the solenoid 8 is depressed, the solenoid 8 being energized will withdraw its armature and indirectly raise the cup shaped portion 2 to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the hook 24 of the trigger 23 engaging over the abutment 25 and holding the apparatus in this position. The next operation consists in depressing a further finger and energizing the solenoid 31, the armature of which will retract and disengage the pawl 3411 from the cross bar 34 and rotate the rocker arm 35 which automatically moves the glass 5 into its screening or operative position and also idly operates the solenoid 44 and brings the pawl 4'? into engagement with the extension bar 48. When it is desired to bring the anti-dazzle device out of operation the third finger is depressed and the armature 45 of the solenoid 44 energized and withdrawn, the rocker arm 51 being rotated in an opposite direction to that when rotated by solenoid 31 so as to move the glass back to the normal position. This fourth operation consists in depressing the remaining finger so as to energize the solenoid 27 which in conjunction with its 00- operating mechanism will return the cup shaped member 2 to its normal closed position.

It will be apparent that when the cup shaped rear portion of the reflector is moved through a small angle to permit the glass 5 to be moved in front of the lamp the light reflected from the lamp carried by this cup shaped portion is directed laterally at an angle relatively to the normal direction of the beam of the lamp. By this arrangement the lamp is thrown out of focus with the predominating portion of the reflector but remains in focus with the small cup shaped portion so that the light is directed sideways instead of straight ahead.

What I claim is:-

1. In dimming or anti-dazzle means for use with headlamps of vehicles, a casing, a reflector in said casing, a relatively movable lamp carrying reflector portion at the rear end of the reflector, electrically operated means for moving said rear reflector portion from a normal position substantially continuous in operation with the remainder of the reflector to a position which provides a gap between it and the remainder of the reflector, a locking device automatically securing said rear reflector portion in the open position, a, relatively movable screening member accommodated in said casing, and electrically operated means for moving said screening member through said gap in front of the lamp carried by the said movable portion of the reflector, means automatically locking said screening member in front of the lamp, and electrically operated means releasing said screening member and returning it to its normal position outside the reflector, and also electrically operated means releasing said rear portion of the reflector to its normal position.

2. In dimming or anti-dazzle means for use with headlamps of vehicles, a casing, a reflector in said casing, a relatively movable lamp carrying reflector portion at the rear end of the reflector, means operable remote from the headlamp for moving said rear reflector portion from a normal position substantially continuous in operation with the remainder of the reflector to a position which provides a gap between it and the remainder of the reflector, a relatively movable screening member accommodated in said casing, and means operable remotely from the headlamp being provided for moving said screening member through said gap in front of the lamp carried by the said movable portion of the reflector, said means for operating said lamp carrying rear portion of the reflector and said screening member comprising four electromagnets and a common switch connecting them to a source of current, locking devices to which their armatures are mechanically connected normally locking the said rear part of the reflector and the screening member in their normal positions, the arrangement being that the said lock- 

